Dollhouses at the MFA are more than child's play

British artist and sculptor Rachel Whiteread's installation of illuminated dollhouses presents a sophisticated statement of community and purpose.

Kristine Diederich

Entering the Foster Gallery at the Museum of Fine Arts through black curtains, it takes a moment to adjust to the darkness.

That moment will also help visitors adjust to a unique exhibit by British artist and sculptor Rachel Whiteread. "Place (Village)" is an installation of illuminated dollhouses deftly assembled throughout the gallery. The darkened room draws attention to the individually lit pieces and creates focus on the installation.

Dollhouses? This is no toy shop display of playthings. Neither precious nor corny, the cohesiveness of the installation presents a sophisticated statement by Whiteread of community and purpose. The miniature homes are transformed from their pedestrian pasts into a glowing organism.

Cheryl Brutvan, exhibition curator, said the artist's "work is so much devoted to the human condition." The intimacy of each diminutive house is contrasted by its emptiness, mostly vacant of furniture and other trappings besides the sources of light.

In adjoining rooms of the gallery are displayed many of Whiteread's diverse works, some of which are sketches, studies and collages for "Place (Village)." Also known for making casts of objects and creating sculptures from them, Whiteread includes several of these sculptures in the exhibit.

She has had an interest in the symbolism of the house for 25 years, said Brutvan.

"Those earlier ideas are represented in the drawings," said the curator. "It really goes back to what you'll see in 'Place (Village)' - the ordinary turned into something quite extraordinary."

Malcolm Rogers, Ann and Graham Gund director of the MFA, called Whiteread "one of today's leading contemporary figures" in the art world, focusing her work on overlooked negative spaces such as the interior of a closet or an empty chair. Whiteread is also internationally known for public art such as her "Holocaust Memorial" in Vienna.

"Place (Village)" comprises 201 dollhouses that Whiteread has collected over many years.

"The houses have come from a variety of sources," said Brutvan. "The impetus (for Whiteread) was clearing out her mother's house after her passing; there was this dollhouse."

The installation has a very ethereal quality. The empty houses seem a bit haunting yet not uncomfortably so.

"Each one is very much a home, a house," said Brutvan, "with the individual emotions of each family."

Brutvan also pointed out that the tiered platforms that lift up the houses in the background - giving the installation the feeling of being built on hills - are the containers that each dollhouse was shipped in.

Is this exhibit ominous and disquieting or warm and inviting? A little of both?

Ultimately, it is up to the viewer to decide.

The work of Rachel Whiteread is on display through Jan. 25.

The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, 465 Huntington Ave., is open 10 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. Saturday through Tuesday and 10 a.m. to 9:45 p.m. Wednesday through Friday. Closed New Year's Day, Patriots Day, Independence Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Admission is $17 for adults, $15 for seniors and students 18 and older. Free for children 17 and younger during non-school hours. No general admission fee on Wednesday after 4 p.m.

For more information, visit mfa.org or call 617-267-9300.

Walking through the neighborhood

Here's a suggested way to view Rachel Whiteread's "Place (Village)" and its accompanying works:

When entering the Foster Gallery, for initial impressions head straight into the curtained, darkened room where "Place (Village)" is displayed. Move on to the adjacent spaces displaying Whiteread's sculptures, collages, studies and drawings to explore her motivation and other work. Return to "Place (Village)" for another look. You may have different thoughts about the installation the second time.